Italian GP: I just drove like an idiot, says Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has said in no uncertain terms it was his own fault he failed to progress to the final phase of qualifying at Monza, and that the reason he didn't make it was because he 'drove like an idiot'.

Lewis Hamilton has said in no uncertain terms it was his own fault he failed to progress to the final phase of qualifying at Monza, and that the reason he didn't make it was because he 'drove like an idiot'.

Hamilton had been competitive in final practice this morning for the Italian Grand Prix, posting the fourth best time, and in Q1, was right up, posting the third quickest lap.

However, in the second phase it all went wrong when he made a mistake exiting the Parabolica on his first run and put his left-hand wheels into the dust. Although he survived, he was then blocked by Adrian Sutil on his second attempt, and consequently will start the grand prix from a lowly 12th position.

It is the first time he has failed to make it into the shoot-out for some 66 races - stretching all the way back to the Malaysia GP in 2010 - and it brings to an ignominious end his run of four straight poles.

"Not much really. I just drove like an idiot," Hamilton told BBC Sport when asked what happened. "It is the worst I have driven for a long, long time. I messed it up for the team. I am sorry for them."

"Yeah [I was impeded by Sutil], but that doesn't matter anyway. I should have done it on the lap before that. I just didn't drive well today. There is not much more to say. I was quick in Q1 and then... I don't know. I'll do whatever I can [now for the race] from wherever I am. But it is going to be tough."

Despite his disappointment, however, the Mercedes pilot later pledged to 'push like hell' in Sunday's grand prix.

"I just didn't get a lap together in Q2 today and it's hugely disappointing, not just for me, but also for the team and I can only apologise to them as we had a quick car today," Hamilton added in Mercedes' official post-qualifying press release.

"Qualifying has always been a real strong point for me but it really didn't come together this afternoon. Q1 was fine but I didn't do a good enough job in Q2. I came off at Parabolica on my first run which damaged the car and it was a downward spiral from there really.

"We will see what we can do from here tomorrow. I'll be pushing like hell to get a decent finish but there are a lot of quick cars ahead."